Just a little bit of
rotation in those clouds! Or maybe I should clarify, LOTS of rotation!

About that time, I
went to look out the other side of the building.

Saw lots of rain,
wind that was swaying the trees and then...

The trees laid down.

And I, a 46 year old
storm lover who had never taken cover unless I was at an event where the
organizers of said event required it...

Headed for the womens
bathroom ( the storm shelter in the community room)

About then the sirens
started blowing.

And then they
stopped, and all the lights went out.

And there we sat.

I got a text from my
sister who lives 60 miles away - watching all the weather alerts on tv.

The others were
getting calls from home.

We hung out there a
good 45 minutes waiting for the rain and wind to let up.

I, and a couple other
girls who live close by, decided to head out to check in at home.

The other women
stayed because their homes were in the direction the storm was going.

Here are a few pics I
lifted from some facebook friends from in town.

These are pics from today during cleanup. The whole town looks like this!

On the way home I drove thru, and yes, I know you're not supposed to drive thru water~ But I was kinda committed before I even realized I was in water!

In town there was generalized flooding, and on the way home there was water running over the road in two places on the way home. My little car did not like it!

It was still raining when I got home, but I got busy sopping up water in my entry ~ the wind was from that direction and pushed the rain right in around the door. Also had a little leakage around a window on that side of the house.

Guess ya gotta expect that when the wind was reported at 80 to 90 mph!

Reports of 3-5 inches, but not sure how in the heck you can get an accurate measure, when the rain is coming horizontally :)

When the rain let up, I went outside to check things out. It was still dark and menacing ~ sheet lightning and a brisk breeze. It was not quite all the way dark, but I couldn't see the horses. Called them numerous times, but nobody came. I wanted so bad to walk out and look for them!

But it was dark, it was WET, and it was still electrical. Since there was nothing I could do at home, I got in my truck and went to the neighbors, I could hear them calling for their animals. They had sheds, fences and equipment tossed about and the animals were scattered. Unfortunately they lost some infant piglets, and they still were missing a few 4 leggeds when I left for home to continue calling.

I finally gave up and went to bed.

I didn't sleep very well.

At 3 am, I got up and looked out yet again, and I caught a shadow of a large animal where the horses usually loaf. So I felt better that at least there was someone out there. I'd envisioned fried horses (lightening)

I had work to get to this morning, and was able to count all 5 heads before I left for work with directions to the son to do a quick once over for injuries when the sun came up. After work I came home to see what the damage was.

I don't have trees yet, so my place doesn't look that hard hit.

The horses are all ok. Sigh of relief.

My fence panel catch pen was all askew. Easy fix.

A pile of wood was scattered about. Easy fix.

But my NEW solar fencer...

May be a casualty of the storm.

The direct lightening strike to my fence may be the reason the horses were afraid to come back home! Neighbor stopped to tell me he'd had to get cows outa my pasture. He had cows and calves everywhere. His herd appeared to have stampeded and scattered. He thinks the lightening may have had something to do with that, too.

So, yeah.

It was a wild night....

ps. One of my friends from the meeting drove by their hay field on the way home. She couldn't believe it when she saw a large round bale burning in the field. In the rain. Yup. Lightening.

Friday, July 22, 2011

I do. I'm not rabid about it, but I enjoy the hunt for things I would like, but won't pay retail for. Plus, that's pretty much the only way I've been able to get "new" stuff for awhile. You know that dang thing called a budget?

So, tomorrow I'm having my own rummage sale. I've been meaning to have one for a couple years now.

Meant to have one before I moved. Didn't work that way, because of a sudden early push from the new homeowner/ landlord. Only had 6 weeks to build a foundation and move a house and move all my accumulated stuff of 20 years.

Yeah, didn't happen.

So I've had these boxes downstairs for a good 20 some months now. Didn't quite remember what all was in them, but knew I wasn't ready to just give them away. There was some nice stuff in there.

Wedding gifts of leaded crystal. Antiques that I had weeded out. Sports equipment. Electronic type stuff that we "had to have" at the time.

I wasn't the 'shopper' in the family.

It was an issue. :)

I can't believe what all I've found in those boxes. Believe it or not, so far nothing has even remotely interested me in bringing it back into the fold.

I just wish I had a little more time and organization to put more out.

Guess I'll have a head start on my next sale!

I just wish I could go to the other 4 sales that are in town tomorrow ... LOL

Saturday, July 16, 2011

It's so ding dang humid and hot here, I can't go outside with the camera without it fogging up.

Leaving it outside to dry would be iffy. I don't think it would dry out!

﻿Unusual for South Dakota. The weatherman this morning said "welcome to Georgia"... It feels like it!

I thought I'd put up a picture of the horses sweating from fighting flies and mosquitoes. It's warm, it's humid and this morning, very calm. Ick!

A breeze has come up making it a little more tolerable, but I'm spending my day inside.

I started it outside chasing the dang neighbor calves outa my pasture. I really need to get my electric fencer hooked up and snapping. I was totally soaked by the wet grass and bug spray and sweat by the time I came in. So not liking it! :)

Working inside on a presentation today for work. This past week I was put in charge of a project at work to improve a work area. Me and two summer college temps. ACK!

I don't get how they ask temporary employees to do these things!

I figure I'm going to give it my best shot. Maybe it'll help get me a permanent position with the company...

Maybe it's a test?

Yup.

A temp.

That's how they do things these days. That way when they lay off, they can say they didn't lay off employees of theirs, right?

OH WELL. It's a job with a living wage.

I'll take it.

I'm also taking any oportunity for any of their training opportunities.

I brought home a workbook --

Elementary Blueprint Reading for Machinists.

Let's see if I can get thru the book and past the quizzes. If so, it may put me in the running for a machinists position. Machinists are in short supply around here...

If you know of any out of work machinists that would like to experience South Dakota's fun weather and awesome living, send 'em this way! Bonus for nice, normal, sane single men ~ LOL!